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By: Reader

I think if you were to open this article up to conversation, you would see quite a bit of activity.

Her research confirms everyday intuition that, "when people feel good, they linger way longer than it takes to efficiently get something done."

The current problems on eBay only serve to drive buyers and especially sellers away. I still have some items listed, but over the last 2 weeks hardly even check to see if anything has sold. Basically, if I don't get a notice then I don't even check to see if we have watchers or if there is any interest. The TRS vs Above Standard seller? Well, TRS listings are buried so deep you can't find them. More ways to manipulate the listings so TRS accounts do NOT reach the required amount of sales and that = No discount - Yay eBay!

Churchill discussed a program she recently started called, Putting the Person into Personalization. "You might not want to offer the same user experience to someone who is new to eBay that you offer to die-hard experienced users. Tailored process personalization involves focusing not just on what you give to people, but how you give it to them."

Give the buyers what they want, their own method of searching instead of bulling them to what eBay thinks they should see.

In a project called Vintage Values, she's looking at which fashion and accessory brands hold value over time and more deeply understand people's values around conservation and preservation as part of their passion for vintage fashion and accessories. - "We've been going shopping with people in vintage and thrift stores, and interviewing them about buying and selling vintage fashion items on eBay."

eBay will only use this information as a means to undermine existing vintage sellers in both the B&M markets and on eBay

Her conclusion: "There is a bigger sense of value here, they have a strong sense of personal identity that rubs off in how they value eBay as an enabler for their passion. We are carrying out analyses right now to identify the processes and patterns in how people attach value to items and give them new life."

If I was a B&M store the last person I would want in my store would be from eBay corporate. Any info they glean from these "shopping trips" will be used to undermine the B&M Stores. But then it makes people "feel so special" they were honored by a visit by eBay.

Churchill said eBay needs to get better at designing for and understanding passion and feeling to complement what it has already achieved when it comes to designing for efficient commerce experiences.

Better at what? Look at what they have achieved, the psychological breakdown of sellers attitudes about eBay? The forcing of buyers off eBay to find what they want?

I think this study has gone in the wrong direction and eBay should do a study without any strings attached, online, as guest users for total anonymity, to ask what users really think about eBay. And then actually listen to what users are saying. I don't think they have the guts to do this. It would most certainly get Donahoe fired.

Thanks for everything you have done for buyers and sellers alike on all venues! Just because we are moving the professional end of our business out of eBay to our own website, does not mean we will never use eBay again.

Like I mentioned before, we will never give eBay the opportunity to shut a professional business. We will continue to "keep one foot in the door" and use it for casual selling & personal use. But our business is our income and never will we put it into eBay's hands who has the ability to literally shut one down without notice. This really applies to Amazon as well.

The article above just shows how far eBay will go to gather intel - makes them the Walmart of the ecommerce world! Thanks, Linda

by: maxmad

Fri Aug 1 11:38:45 2014

We have taken the EXACT same route,

Moving away to other venuesebay is not stable, no place to even begin to think about running any type normal of business, when it could all just be terminated by the ''opinion'' of a few buyers, and some wacko ebay program.

it's no coincidence that many online ebay sellers are coming to the same conclusions, you would have to be just as insane as ebay to continue with this crazy company.

Seller Reacts to eBay Psychologist's Study of Buye

by: Basset

Fri Aug 1 13:17:35 2014

I'm also glad to see Churchill is looking at Vintage Values in fashion and accessories.

Buy and selling in vintage and collectable pre-owned clothing is an edge eBay has had over Amazon (none) and other venues like Etsy. Etsy does have some ''vintage'' clothing/accessories, but at this time not the range and selection available on eBay.

Although eBay should be nurturing this category, the worry is that if they have something good going - they will do something to dismantle it.

Like policies that alienate and chase away good sellers.

As far as intel gathering goes: I'm convinced that anymore, just setting foot within the internet - no matter where - you are a virtual lab rat for somebody. Big brother is watching and his name is Sigmund Freud.

Seller Reacts to eBay Psychologist's Study of Buye

by: RCL

Fri Aug 1 14:05:38 2014

It's all about control. Control of buyers, sellers, and shareholders. If eBay were a success, woouldn't the stock start moving again?Psychology! What a laugh. Who is paying the psycologist?

by: RCL

Sorry for the typos--rushing to get home

When was the last time anyone saw a "second hand" shop in a major successful shopping mall? Never, I suspect. Only when a mall is in serious decline do such retailers ever get a foot in the door.

So, putting aside the “pea and thimble” activities habitually launched by the eBay Dept of Spin, the reality is, Johnny Ho wants you all gone; in Johnny Ho’s narcissistic delusions, only international brands are ultimately welcome on his up-market online “Westfield Mall” ...

"Our ambition is to be the strategic partner of choice for every leading retailer, brand and manufacturer across the world ..."—eBay Employment Ad (2013) ...

Johnny Ho is dreaming, of course; but, still, he has the tiller …

Seller Reacts to eBay Psychologist's Study of Buye

by: Rexford

Fri Aug 1 21:47:54 2014

"Our ambition is to be the strategic partner of choice for every leading retailer, brand and manufacturer across the world ..."—eBay Employment Ad (2013) ...

And that will be his undoing. Why does one accept a role with a successful company and then completely turn it into something completely different?

Have a thinking day on that one.

Seller Reacts to eBay Psychologist's Study of Buye

by: Rexford

Fri Aug 1 21:48:53 2014

...and excuse the two "completely"s

Seller Reacts to eBay Psychologist's Study of Buye

by: ThomasZapata420

Fri Aug 1 21:54:22 2014

May it a briliant from eBay executive suite to pump and dump eBay stock before it loses all its values.

Seller Reacts to eBay Psychologist's Study of Buye

by: Basset

Sat Aug 2 10:26:47 2014

Speaking of lab rats earlier - Perhaps the psychologist would want to look at an example of the EXPERIENCE eBay offers ''the die-hard experienced users'' :

Buyer buys item then emails to request item be shipped promptly (policy 1 business day). There is time before the cut-off at our USPS so make another trip within the hour to ship this package same day.

Normally, packages scan before midnight of same day if dropped off before cut-off. This package did not scan in until after 4 AM. So it does not show as being scanned in until the next day's date.

Item has since scanned as departing and being on the way but not arrived at next unit.

eBay has estimated a 3 business day delivery time. At last check, that is not going to happen. Does buyer have an itchy trigger finger or does buyer understand about USPS delivery ''estimates''.

USPS action is completely out of sellers control. Providing yet another example of how a seller is put at risk for - buyer ire, defects, loss of standing, refund due to NAD? (apparently, from another thread), enough negative consequences for doing the ''correct'' thing to make a lab rat want to chew its tail.

So, psychologist, remember those textbook experiments where critters were given puzzles that could not be solved? Activities carried out correctly that never resulted in a reward? And how the critters eventually gave up and stopped trying?

Seller Reacts to eBay Psychologist's Study of Buye

by: Puck

Sat Aug 2 10:43:34 2014

eBay sellers = White lab rats in a Skinner box.

Seller Reacts to eBay Psychologist's Study of Buye

by: Puck

Sat Aug 2 10:45:12 2014

Correction:eBay sellers and buyers = White lab rats in a Skinner box.

Seller Reacts to eBay Psychologist's Study of Buye

by: RCL

Sat Aug 2 12:45:58 2014

Babies....babies in a Skinner box.

Seller Reacts to eBay Psychologist's Study of Buye

by: Basset

Sat Aug 2 18:03:47 2014

Puck & RCL:

...and that's no B.F. ;>)

Seller Reacts to eBay Psychologist's Study of Buye

by: Ming the Merciless

Sun Aug 3 15:49:18 2014

What she really should be studying are the personality dynamics of ebay's so called high level leadership team and their collective personality defects determine site policies and attitude toward their customers, the sellers.

Seller Reacts to eBay Psychologist's Study of Buye

by: jonesridge

Sun Aug 3 23:00:29 2014

Why is this study even needed?Seller lists an Item, the way the seller wants, for the price the seller wants, with or without free shipping, it is of no matter.Ebay needs only to post/show the item to ALL who look for it or the like and it either sells or not. Ebay does not need to be involved in any fashion, just list the damn thing and we can go on from there.By the way, I have great fast deliveries with the USPS, sometimes 2 days 1/2 way across the country.

Seller Reacts to eBay Psychologist's Study of Buye

by: Tiffee Jasso

Mon Aug 4 00:43:32 2014

I think Ebay has sparked lots of Passion. Ask any seller and they could say it all in four letters.

Seller Reacts to eBay Psychologist's Study of Buye

by: BargainzBabylon

Mon Aug 4 18:59:44 2014

This is more nonsense from eBay that we'll never hear about again. As for vintage clothing and accessories at any rate, that's like locking the barn door after the horse has bolted - vintage has been steadily leaving the site and going to Etsy (among other places). The slightest bit of browsing on Etsy brings up a huge volume of vintage, and I know quite a few sellers who have moved over there. The market on eBay is not even a shadow of what it was. I suspect a better cheaper and more focused venue came along and a lot of sellers decided to go for it. I know I am.

Seller Reacts to eBay Psychologist's Study of Buye

by: comet

Mon Aug 4 19:29:21 2014

Funniest Article on here EVER!!!!!

If there was a LIKE button--you would ALL be "Liked"!!!!!

But special Mention to TIFFEE; MING and JONESRIDGE who knocked it out of the park.

I def would be interested to see an actual psyche eval done on The HO and Devil Wenig and "Uncle Griff the Grifter" and a few other top level ebay execs.

And I bet none of US would be shocked if there were some very deep and serious personality disorders diagnosed if not actual psychosis.

And some one really SHOULD be checking the back yards of San Jose for signs of digging.

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